Setting off to the South

Breezing down to Betesda and on to the Cañon

Road through the 'grass' desert

They again had a most complete breakfast at the hotel and started off south. It was hot and they were in the desert. The scenery started off with the sand desert and evolved into the grass desert and then more bush desert. In these parts they passed vast farms seemingly in the middle of nowhere. 

Rock formation 

It must be quite a feat farming in these parts what with the lack of water, the dry, the dust …. But these people seem to be making a living out of it. However, the place is also very well geared for tourism and there are lodges, camps and sites indicated all over. What they also saw were signs leading to view points where it is written ‘permit required’.

They figured that there ‘permits’ were mainly for the authorities to know where people are, not necessarily as a control measure but to keep track on the people who trundle along on lonely tracks in  the barren parts and get stuck, or have vehicle problems and such. The desert is quite forbidding and if there is a problem and no one knows where you are ….. quite recently they found a vehicle with skeletons in it, the people got lost, had car problems and then ran out of water…. In the desert, it is as simple as that!

Sailing by the Tropic of Capricorn they landed in the great metropolis of Solitude where they were greeted by old cars lying in the bush and a quaint  petrol station and the town’s ‘everything’ shop. There, they filled, visited the loo and shopped for essentials before taking to the road again.

old car in the bush

Lunch at Betesda

Betesda is a Christian rest camp. A comfortable place to stop on this long sandy road. The staff is welcoming and discreet. The swimming pool was very welcoming after the hot dusty roads. They rested and then went to watch the starts and the new moon. Then they went in for a buffet dinner.

  

Watching the new moon

After breakfast the next day, they took to the road again. This time they were aiming for the Fish RiverCañon.  The aunties had had enough of the desert but they had to stop somewhere on the road and that part of the desert was new to all of them. When the Cañon roadhouse said there was room for them, they were delighted to be on the rim of the Cañon at least.

Train going up to the coast

Cañon formation

This was not endless desert. It was desert but the scenery changed with rock formations, ridges, canons and cattle and wildlife. Fascinating how man managed to brave the elements and settle in what could have been quite forbidding areas in the time when travel was either on foot or animal-back. There are wild and wonderful tales (and sometimes  tragic) of people who have/had settled in these parts such as the tale of the Dwisib Schloss built there. 

                                                                          The sky was turning grey when they reached the Roadhouse. This place, like Betesda also looked like a lost oasis in the middle of nowhere. And it also had an array of old cars as well as old road related bric-à-brac. By the time they were booked in by the friendly staff, it started raining. It actually rained in the desert!

Dinner at the Roadhouse

But it quickly stopped after quenching the thirst of this vast empty land and its little oasis of life. They rested, visited the place and check out the mules that are used to take tourists into the famous cañon and worked a bit. Then they went to dinner where the staff was already taking orders from bigger and more boisterous groups.  

The food was nice, well served too, with no fuss. Back at the room, they worked some more and retired for the night. It was very quiet and peaceful except for a mule that had a cough.

Shopping at the Roadhouse

In the morning, a good spread awaited them for breakfast. Again, with a full tummy they took to the road down to the Great South. The border crossing was pretty painless. Their system was down and forms had to be filled again but it was very swift, the border was not busy.

From there to Springbok, they had a tarred road on which they had been before. It was greener further south and cooler too.

And thus they slid into Springbok.

Scenery on the road south

A town that caters mainly for the mining and farming that goes on around it, Sprigbok spreads quite far out. It has this busy main road that suddenly goes empty after 17h00. They were booked at a nice guesthouse  - Annie’s - on the slopes of the town. It was peaceful and quiet there. The rooms were nicely decorated, the whole place was done up with a lot of taste and planning.

Sunset over Springbok

After settling in, they sat on the verandah and had a bite and tea and then retired to some reading and resting. Coen had to find some internet connection because of his online course and we found some rather pricy internet ‘café’ on the main road that was also closing at 17h00!

She also had to submit some work that she had done. So they left that aunties at the Springbok café that has a good display of stones to look at and a scratch patch too and they did the Internet thing. Quickly the aunties joined them and they drove back to the guesthouse.

Breakfast at Annie's

That evening they went to Tauren for dinner. Pretty much the standard steak house, it was quite busy when they got there but there was space for them to sit and have a copious dinner.

Breakfast at Annie’s was a nice affair in a cozy dining room. The egg Florentine was nice and filling and they met with aunty Pam the owner of the place who had some nice anecdotes to tell about life in Springbok as opposed to Johannesburg where she comes from.

Of shoes and warm baths

Signs of agriculture in the Western Cape

Long before reaching the town, they saw signs of extensive agriculture: vineyards, flowers, citrus and other fruits and what could be wheat or oats. 

Road to ClanWilliam

Down to Clanwilliam on a nice and not too busy road. They had booked rooms at the Long House, just off the main road. They checked in and sorted out breakfast with the owner; had a late lunch on the stoep while enjoying the nice garden.

Trying shoes.....

Later the decision was to go to the shoe factory and then on to the Rooibos factory. At the shoe factory, Coen and mother bought shoes. Strong, sturdy and honest shoes that have not changed in decades. Pity they have not introduced some more styles but at least they are still operating in the area after more than 100 years.

The Rooibos factory visit was interesting. They got shown a film about the tea, had a taste of it and then, got to buy some rooibos tea and its derivatives. The prices are very good, the products interesting and would make interesting gifts.

Stoep of the Long House

Back at the ranch, they rested and worked a bit more while the aunties curled in bed for a nap. After the nap, they made a decision to have dinner at the Reinhold Restaurant. Mama was having a raging headache, so the three of them trundled off there and had a great time, with great food and stories.

Dinner at Reinhold

Old post of Clanwilliam

As there was no room for them to stay longer at the Long House, they moved on to Citrusdal where they booked to stay at the ‘Baths’. A camping and lodge place graced with hot springs. The rooms that were available came with their own private hot baths. After they booked in, they had a bit of lunch and then rested while the camp slowly filled up with lodgers and campers. That afternoon, they went off to town, Coen looking for a place to repair his radiator and them looking to buy the necessary for dinner.

When they got back, the aunties got busy making dinner while they filled a bath and soaked in there. Slowly, as the sun set, the camp also settled down. They spent a quiet and peaceful night again. The next morning she went to the big hot pool just before breakfast. She had served Coen coffee in bed with rusks.

View of the valley

Sun opening on the valley

They decided to back into town later that morning to see about radiator repair. They were told about some Otto person who will be able to help. And Otto was found in one back road where Coen got a powder that did the trick. Meanwhile the ladies went walkabout and saw this little shoppie where there was a multiple of interesting products. She bought Citrusdal honey among other things.

Ox cart at the Old Village

Outside the post house

So, the radiator was patched and they took off to see about having lunch at the Old Village. This is the  old village of Citrusdal when it was only a stopping point on the road north and the old post house is now a little restaurant that serves good food. What they claim to be home baked bread turned out to be a disappointment but the rest was nice and well served too, quite generous portions in fact. 

They went back, she had another dip in the big pool and then worked a bit more and rested. They had an improvised dinner of mushroom fondue on toast and went to bed while rain was beating down. More people had arrived and pitched camp that day and a few had some damages due to the heavy down pour that came that evening.